Creative Commons Photo Credit: dok1
A friend and I went to German Village’s High Beck Corner Tavern where southern Ohio brewery Portsmouth Brewing Co. was holding a tasting. They sent two friendly assistant brewers to serve beer and answer questions. The event itself was nice and cheap, with tastes for a quarter and pints for a dollar.
Red Bird Ale
A California common (or steam beer) coming in at just 3.5% ABV. It’s transparent, copper-hued, and has a light scent of sweet malt and noble hops. There is a light malt sweetness and a clean finish, but very little flavor overall. Predictably from the low ABV, it has a relatively thin mouthfeel, light body, accompanied by smooth, light carbonation. There’s certainly nothing objectionable here, but the beer doesn’t have a lot going for it either.
Portsmouth Pilsner
At 5.5% ABV, was my favorite of the trio. It has a pale straw color and a light smell akin to sweet corn – the hop aroma was very faint. It tastes mostly of sweet malt, but there is also a hint of noble hops, imparting slight bitterness at the end. The finish is clean with a mineral taste, likely due the water used by the brewers. It features a light body and medium carbonation. Overall, this felt more like an exceptionally good Miller Lite than an average pilsner due to its thin, watery nature.
Excelsior Dark Lager
4% ABV and black in color, though if you hold it up to the light it’s fairly translucent (this is a neat trick for gauging the body of your stouts and porters). There is a pleasant but quite faint coffee aroma. Although nearly as light in flavor as the other two, the typical chocolate-coffee flavor does make its way through and the beer ends with a dry, chocolatey finish. This beer isn’t as thin and watery as the other two, and for that reason it was my friend’s favorite.
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Even though they’re far from my favorite brews, I think Portsmouth Brewing’s beers have their place. The Pils, in particular, would be great to introduce your BMC(Bud/Miller/Coors)-drinking friends to craft beer. Excelsior might make a similarly good introduction for those who find Guiness Draught to be a ‘heavy’ beer.
Portsmouth Pilsner is available in Central Ohio at these carryouts: Andy’s Carryout, McClaskie’s Drive-Thru, Honeybee Drive-Thru & Carryout State Liquor, Europia State Liquor and Barley Hopster’s. Columbus area bars serving Portsmouth Pilsner include Double D’s Pub, the Blue Danube, Pizza Rustica, Clancey’s Pub, Opa and Amato’s. World of Beer serves the Pilsner as well as Red Bird Ale.
14 Comments on "Portsmouth Brewing Company: It’s… beer"
Mr. Wolfe wins the diplomacy award. Whilst “damning with faint praise” the second to last paragraph tells the story I suspect. Most people, and young drinkers especially, think of “beer” as “BMC”. If Portsmouth thinks they need to “go light” to snare these drinker then, while I probably won’t be interested in their product neither will I hold it against them. Thank you for the great review.
There’s no accounting for taste. Throwing around industry terminology does not make one an expert, especially when it doesn’t apply. Sage obviously has no idea what he’s talking about. Red Bird Ale is American – with no trace of the Noble Hops he believes he was smelling or tasting. The Noble Hops are in the Pilsner (Czech Saaz) where they are tasted initially, followed by a malt finish. While the undeveloped pallet of a child might think the aftertaste is bitter, any man would consider it slightly sweet.
Alcohol content and transparency are not the defining factors in beer flavor. Portsmouth Brewing Co. beer is not meant for the alcoholic gay bashing frat boy by day who overcompensates with a compulsion for beer, guns & girls, etc. or the inconsolable, self-loathing gay bashing frat boy by night that needs to rationalize how in the world he could possibly wake up at the crack of dawn spooning with his best bro for life, Skyler. “You better not tell anybody, bro. If my dad finds out, he won’t let me work at his dealership this summer!” What this confused soul is looking for is one of the many fine commercial brews manufactured by the good people at either Bud, Miller or Coors, who, coincidentally, use the majority of their advertising dollars to get people just like him to buy their product.
While the complexity of flavor was lost on this young blogger, the growth of Ohio’s Oldest Brewery speaks for itself. I’ve been to the website -www.portsmouthOHbrewing.com- this list of Columbus retailers is far from complete.
Perhaps he should take his mother’s advice, and leave the reviewing to those journalists with a modicum of professionalism and, more importantly, to the public, who’s only agenda is enjoying a good beer. How can the people at Drink Up Columbus pay for this drivel? I’d like to get paid for being an ironic hipster dufuss. I’m certain I’m qualified. Where do I send my resume? One last point in my favor- if the fine people at Drink Up Columbus decide to hire me, any brewers I meet in a professional capacity, I’m confident, will invite me back a second time because I’m certain they won’t feel I come off like a smug little prick.
Hi James,
As you said in your opening statement, there’s no accounting for taste, so one person’s experience with any given brew is completely different from another person’s experience. However, the way beer reviews are written, even by the “journalists” you refer to, is almost always just one person’s opinion. I respect that yours differs from Sage’s. Who, by the way, is about as comically NOT a “frat boy” as can be
As a note, if you really did want to write for Drink Up Columbus, a good place to start would be not personally attacking my writers for a simple difference of opinion.
Thanks for reading and chiming in,
Cheryl
Sage, get your “pallet” and your gay sex life in order. And quit that bro shit, I don’t want your dad to ban you from his dealership.
James, I can’t believe you’d demean our tender night of passion like that! I kept my mouth shut so your dad wouldn’t find out, and now you put it out for everyone? I’m soooo pissed off! You don’t understand how angry this make me!
Sage, you look cute from your avatar… my great grandfather was from Belgium… let me know if you want to get drinks sometime!
Skyler, if you really want to win his heart you’re going to have to buy him a six-pack of Miller Lite and a bottle of Astroglide.
How big of a bottle? I generally buy the economy size.
Fistfight between local journalist and snide commenter turns into wrestling match which then leads to a passionate makeout session. Skyler left to hold the camera.
I have taken some classes in film-making, it would be nice to put them to good use!
Sage, I’m disappointed in you.
If you ever want to take over my Toyota / Scion / Lexus dealership, you’re going to need to end your relationships with these men.
No son of mine is a pillow biter.
Is it ok if I do the pillow biting?
Portsmouth Brewing Company reverse psychology viral marketing campaign big success!
oh, fake dispatch. i love you.
I ordered a pallet of this beer because of James Hull’s commentary. I can’t wait until this beer hits the pallets of Columbus beer drinkers. I’m sure they will find it palletable.
I mean, Sage Wolfe? Really? That sounds so fake.
Sincerely,
Tarragon Coyote